Railway signal mechanism.



No. 863,263. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

J. P. COLEMAN. RAILWAY SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 1907.

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PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907,

J. P. COLEMAN. RAILWAY SIGNAL MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 13, 1907.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN I. COLEMAN, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCHI AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL MECHANISM.

No. 863,263. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aa 13, 1907.

I will describe a railway-signal embodying my invention and then pointout the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in verticalsection, partly in elevation and partly broken away, of a mechanismembodying my inven- 7 tion and showing the parts in the position theyeecupy when the signal device indicates danger. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the parts in their intermediate position. Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the parts in the position they occupy when the signaldevice indicates safety. Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly broken away, ofa modified form of signal device; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalview of Fig. -l.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates a. post or other suitable support, and B a signal devicesupported thereby.

The signal device B is here shown as being of the sema phore type and ascomprising a blade I) and a spectaclecasting Z), to which the blade issecured, and which also serves as a counterweight for the blade 11. Thespectacle-casting b may be formed to carry as many lenses 1) as desiredin order that the signal device may be employed to give indications atnight in connection with a lamp. The casting b is fixed upon a shaftsuitably journaled on the post, which shaft carries an arm If, to whichone end of an up and down rod b is connected. The lower end of therod 1) is pivotally connected to an operating mechanism D. As hereshown, this mechanism is of the fluid pressure type and comprises acylinder (Z and piston d. The mechanism D is supported by a cylinder dof a similar fluid pressure mechanism D The piston d" of the mechanism Dis fixed, being supported in any suitable manner on a base (1*. Fluidpressure is supplied to the mechanisms D and D from any suitable source,as through a pipe D and such fluid pressure is under the control ofelectrically operated valve devices E and E The valve devices mayconveniently be substantially of the form and arrangement illustratedand described in Letters Patent No. 357,109, issued February 1, 1887, toGeorge Westinghouse, Jr. for electrical interlocking mechanism forswitches and signals, to which reference may be had for the details ofconstruction and operation.

It is only necessary to here state that each electrically operated valvedevice has the functions of opening the supply of fluid pressure whenthe magnet comprised therein is energized and of shutting oli or closingthe supply of fluid pressure when the magnet comprised therein isdeenergized and to open an exhaust port or passage to the atmosphere.

The stems of the pistons and d are tubular and communicate at theirlower ends with passages d, (Z respectively, controlled by the valvedevices E and E respectively, and the supply pipe D also communicateswith the passage (l controlled by the valve device E At their upper endsthe tubular stems communicate with the cylinders (Z and (Z above thepistons. The lower end of the stem of the piston (Z communicates withthe upper end of the cylinder d by means of a passage d controlled bythe valve device E.

As shown in Fig. 1 the signal device indicates danger and the fluidpressure operating mechanisms are in their normal positions, and thevalves 0 and a, con trolled respectively by the electrically-operatedvalve devices E and E are in position to prevent the passage of fluidpressure to the cylinders and to open communication between the interiorof the cylinders and exhaust ports. If now the valve device E beenergized by the closing of a circuit, the valve 0 will be shifted toclose the exhaust port and open communication between the supply pipe Dand the interior of the cylinder (F by way of the tubular stem of thepiston (Z and since the said piston is fixed the cylinder (1 will bemoved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 and will carry with itthe fluid pressure operating mechanism D and the electrically-operatedvalve device E, both of which are supported on the cylinder (Z to movepositively therewith in both directions vertically. This movement willmove the rod 1) upwardly to sulficient extent to move the signal deviceto the caution position, as indicated in Fig. 2. In such position thevalve 0 will prevent any fluid pressure passing from the cylinder (Z tothe cylinder (Z through the passage (1 and i will continue to do sountil the valve device E is energized to move the valve 3. If now thevalve device E be energized the valve e will be shifted to close itsexhaust port and open communication between the cylinder (F and cylinderd by way of the passages (Z d and tubular stem of the piston (Z and thiswill cause the cylinder (Z to move upwardly to the position indicated inFig. 3 and thereby move the rod I) still further upwardly and shift thesignal to the clear position of indication as shown in Fig. 3.Obviously, by deenergizing the valve devices E and E the valves 6 and 2will be moved to open the exhaust ports and close the supply passagesand the signal will automatically move to danger position and the fluidpressure operating mechanism to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe any circuits orsoiu'ce of electrical supply for the valve devices E and E The railwaysignal may be used in block signaling systems wherein the operation ofthe signals is automatically controlled by the movements of trains overthe blocks.

Reference may be had to U. S. Patent, No. 729,065, granted May 26, 1903,to M. D. Hanlon, which shows one arrangement of circuits, etc., whichmight be used in connection with the electrically operated valve devicesE and E and in which patent the devices marked E, E, are substantiallythe same as devices E and E. Of course, the railway signal may also beused in other connections, for example, in interlocking plants.

in Fig. 4 I have shown a signal device B in which the blade I) isdesigned to move above the horizontal to the caution and clear positionsof indication instead of below it as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Here the postor support A is shown as tubular and in order to adapt my invention foruse in connection with this type of signal device the shaft whichcarries the signal device is journaled in a box or casing C, secured toor forming a part oi the tubular post A and provided with a pinion cwith which a pivoted quadrant chmeshes. 'lhe quadrant is provided withan arm 0 pivotally connected to the upper end of the rod 1) which, asshown, extends up through the tubular post or support A. When the rod 5is moved upwardly as heretofore described the arm c will move to the twopositions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the signal blade I)will be moved to the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig, 4.

It will be noted that the operation of the cylinder d for moving thesignal device to indicate clear is dependent upon the operation of thecylinder to move the signal device to indicate caution. This is due tothe iact that the supply of air to the cylinder (Z is obtained throughand from the cylinder d and therefore the movement of the cylinder (Z isdependent upon the supply of fluid pressure to the cylinder (1 Animportant advantage of the above described con struction is thatstui'fing boxes and packing for the piston stems are dispensed with andthe only packing necessary is that for the pistons.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a railway signal, the combination of a signal device, a pluralityof fluid-pressure mechanisms for moving the signal device to differentpositions of indications, said mechanisms each comprising a cylinder anda piston and the cylinders being movable with respect to the pistons,the piston of one mechanism being fixed and the other mechanism beingsupported by the cylinder cooperating with the fixed piston, aconnection between the cylinder of the last named mechanism and thesignal device, and valve devices for controlling the admission of fluidpressure to the cylinders.

2. In a railway signal, the combination of a signal de vice, a pluralityof fluid pressure mechanisms for moving the signal device to differentpositions of indications, said mechanisms each comprising a cylinder, apiston and a tubular piston stem, and the cylinders being movable withrespect to the pistons, the piston of one mechanism being fixed and theother mechanism being connected to and movable as an entirety with thecylinder cooperating with the fixed piston, a fluid pressure supply pipeconnected by a passage with the tubular stem of the fixed piston, andthe cylinder cooperating with said fixed piston being connected by apassage to the tubular stem of the piston of the other mechanism, aconnection between the cylinder of the last named mechanism and thesignal device, and separate valve devices for controlling the flow offluid pressure through said passages.

3. In a railway signal, the combination with a signal device having abias to one position of indication, of means for moving it against itsbias to two other positions of indication, said means comprising twopistons and cylinders and an electrically operated valve for each forcontrolling the supply of fluid pressure thereto, one of said cylindersreceiving its supply of fluid pressure through the other cyl inder andonly when the electrically operated valve of said other cylinder isenergized.

4. In a railway signal, the combination with a signal device having abias to one position of indication. of means for moving it against itsbias to two other positions of indication, said means comprising twocylinders arranged in tandem and in communication with each otherthrough a passage, a piston in each cylinder, and an electricallyoperated valve for each cylinder one of said valves being adapted tocontrol said passage between the two cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribed witnesses.

JOHN P. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

A. HERMAN WEGNER, Fnnnmucx B. BLACKMAN.

